Fat shack

Fat shack

The Fat Shack concept was created in February 2010 by Tom Armenti in the college town of Ewing, New Jersey (home of the The College of New Jersey), operating from 6 pm to 4 am in a bagel shop (which operated at the location during the day time). Once the bagel shop's staff left for the day, Tom would re-open the store and operate his new late night restaurant from 6PM to 4AM. Armenti's college classmate and close friend, Kevin Gabauer joined the company in Fort Collins and worked with the founder to re-organize the menu, refreshing the company's brand and simplifying operations. Within six months, Fat Shack opened another location in Boulder.

From the beginning, the staples of Fat Shack's menu has been their 'Fat Sandwiches', which draw their origins from the Grease trucks at Rutgers University, burgers, deep-fried desserts, chicken wings, and philly cheesesteaks. Other offerings include milkshakes, mozzarella sticks and deep-fried mac and cheese. The restaurants often offer seasonal items such as deep-fried mint Oreos during the month of March. Many offerings surpass daily recommended intake of calories with some ranging upwards of 2,000 Calories.

Fat Shack — a Colorado-based sandwich chain known for its over-the-top fried ingredients and late-night hours — started out as a former college student’s entrepreneurial solution to the midnight munchies in his sleepy college town. But since opening its first location in New Jersey in 2010 (which has since closed), Fat Shack has grown to 14 locations in Colorado, Washington, and Texas, with more to come.

Fat Shack owners Tom Armenti and Kevin Gabauer began the latest chapter of their sandwich chain’s expansion with a $250,000 investment from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Armenti and Gabauer secured the partnership after appearing on an episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” which aired on May 12. Since the episode was first taped, Cuban — who now owns a 15% stake in Fat Shack — helped Armenti and Gabauer plan their 12 .